Immune to Guilt?
NCC Dungeon The blues and violets that blanket the city darken here, edging into midnight blue and indigo. The suffusing, scintillating light dims, and only scraps and snatches of illumination are available, hinting at forms rather than revealing the truth of structure. Will-o-the-wisp lights flicker in and out, suggesting sparking wires or perhaps the sinister optics of the security cameras. When activated, the translucent turquoise force fields cast more light than anything else. The long shadow-silhouettes of bars fashioned like rib cages are cast on the ground. The filigreed manacles are deceptively slender, but pound for pound, their grasp is far stronger than spider-silk, nigh unbreakable. From the ceiling hang the various tools of torture, perhaps the teeth of an iron maiden here and the cage of a gibbet there. Guiltor lies on a table, restrained tightly by numerous manacles and cables. His optics are unlit, and the mechanoid does not move an inch. And yet, Soundwave is nowhere to be found. Just what the heck happened in here? Dreadwind trudges into the dungeon area fully expecting instant annihilation or at least excruciating pain, whgen he finds none, he automatiocally assumes the worst. "Great, Soundwave is vapourised and i'm left to get the blame for not getting here quick enough and dying with him." Cyclonus arrives immediatly behind Dreadwind; moving a little bit more cautiously as apparently somewhere between there and here he got ahead of the mighty Galvatron. He has adopted a somewhat defensive posture, broadsword already drawn and at the ready. The 'body' if one wants to call it that is eyed for a moment and then he gestures for Dreadwind to go on ahead. "Dreadwind." He states. "See if Soundwave was, in fact, working on this unit. Is there a visible incision?" Revenant almost seems to glide into the Dungeon, his wings flicking outwards slightly as his crimson optics adjust to the lack of light. Guiltor being held here has always left him wary, but he hadn't thought that something like this would happen. He inclines his head to Cyclonus as he moves to the side, remaining on standby for the time being. You paged Dreadwind with 'Yes. Soundwave seemed to be trying to cut open his chest' Sunder has arrived. Dreadwind trudges forwards, he's no medic but he does no a little something about medical procedures, he lokos Guiltor over quickly, "It seems that he was trying to cut his way in through the chest cavity though it doesn't look like he got all that far, before he was given final release from this world. Probably triggered a boobytrap mechanism built to stop things like this from happening, i'm surprised the dungeon and body are still here i'd have thought they'd be the first thing to go." Sunder strides quickly into the Dungeon, hearing things that concern him. "Has this Guiltor self-deactivated again, like all the others?" he wonders. Cyclonus seems to be as interested in the body as anything else, given Soundwave's dissapearance. "You." He says to Revenant. "Scan for Soundwave. Did he enter and then leave? Examine the surveillance systems if you must. Find me answers. Do you detect anything amiss here?" His sword glitters slightly as it angles to point at Sunder. "You as well. Unit Soundwave had begun dissection of this body and has since dissapeared." He begins to approach the 'body' of Guiltor carefully, making a cursory exam himself for any signs of anything amiss. "Dreadwind." He says. "Find a scalpel and continue the incision that Soundwave began." To answer Sunder's question, no, Guiltor has not self-destructed... because his optics suddenly flash online! His head rises up as he looks straight at Cyclonus, glaring intently at him. And then, merely by lifting up his arms, Guiltor throws off the restraints upon them. He kicks his legs out, and those restraints are removed with equal ease. He rises, a brace across his chest snapping off. Optics glowing, Guiltor steps off of the table, right past Dreadwind, and begins his march towards Cyclonus. As for Soundwave, he does seem to be here... but he's moving around and yet, somehow not visible. Dreadwind turns and wordlessly stares at Cyclonus for a moment before starting to search for a scalpel, "You do of course realise i won't know exactly what i'm doing and that i'm being used as a sacrificial lamb in all this, it never pays to get released from medbay, never." Dreadwind stops his search as Guiltor makes his break out attempt stepping right past him, ignoring Dreadwind as much as the Decepticons usually do, "Typical, now Guiltor's ignoring me completely, what is the point of it all?" Revenant turns his gaze towards Sunder as he enters, moving a step back and away from his fellow Sweep. He inclines his helm to Cyclonus at his orders and moves to the opposite side of the room, his sensors and scanners powering up. He is silent for a long time as he focuses on what he is picking up. "It does not appear that he left," he states quietly. "He... may still be here." He has an odd feeling that... something is moving in the shadows nearby, even though it's only a 'gut feeling'. His gaze snaps towards Guiltor as the construct activates and breaks free, and the Dead One tenses as he seems to crouch a tic, talons bared and raised to about waist-level. "Cyclonus, sir," he rumbles, almost seeming to wait for orders concerning Guiltor's advance from the Decepticon Second-In-Command. "Indeed, I am also detecting Soundwave's presence. I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly where, but I am confident he is still in this room," Sunder tells Cyclonus. Then he also realizes that the monstrosity is up and around, and headed for his commander. "Your orders, Lord Cyclonus?" Cyclonus is one of relatively little hesitation. The second that Guiltor begins to move, he at least knows what to do. There are times where one engages in conversation. Sometimes diplomacy, to the degrees of threats and offers and that sort of thing. Sometimes, you talk to your enemy when he appears and sometimes enemies can be turned into non-threats, sometimes Allies and even Friends. This is the power of communication and this is what Rodimus Prime would do. Fortunatly, Rodimus Prime is not here and Cyclonus is, and he knows exactly what to do. Hoisting his pistol, he aims a blast at Guiltor's center of mass -- a fully charged beam of irridescent lavender energy. "Bring him down." He orders. "Sweeps, get me answers. If Sonudwave is here, where is he? Are holographics at work here? Where is he?" You evade Cyclonus's Lavender Light of Doom attack. Guiltor's torso abruptly twists to the side as Cyclonus fires upon him, dodging the blast. But Guiltor, instead of continuing his advance, remains at his current position and says, "What, you don't want to talk, Cyclonus? But we have so much to discuss, you and I. For I, Guiltor, the Champion of Torment, know all your secrets and all of your greatest failings. How can you truly hope to defeat with a mere--" He gestures distastefully towards the pistol. "--gun? Or are you merely lashing out in fear?" Wherever Soundwave is, he's moving... and... behind a wall? That can't be right. Dreadwind hesitates, a lot, not through fear or inability to decide on an action but through apathy, "You do realise that if wee destroy it we'll be back to square one again with no idea how he is reborn and this strange power he supposedly has, but if that is really what you want it shouldn't be that tough to destroy him again." Dreadwind chokes ever so slightly on hearing Guiltor's proclamation, "Champion of Torment you have hardly existed a full cycle and you claim to know of torment, it's subtle sufferings, the pain it leaves behind, you know nothing of the universe and its ways." Revenant nods once. He is the best tracker of the Sweeps, after all, although he is quickly seeing places where he needs to improve in order to keep that designation. Finding Soundwave is probably more suited for his skills than battling Guiltor. "As you will," he simply replies as he moves back again, this time focusing on trying to find where this... presence... is coming from, and if Guiltor's unique abilities are currently at work. It appears so, and is that presence behind an unseen 'wall'...? Hang on, so is that why he's having so much difficulty finding that Tapemaster, if that's what the presence truly is? He cants his gaze to Sunder to see if his higher-ranked 'clone' is coming to the same conclusions he is, using senses even higher than his own. Sunder almost can't believe his sensors either. "He's.../behind a wall/?!" the Sweep says incredulously, exchanging glances with Revenant. Sunder goes to the wall, at the point where the signals are strongest, and paws at it with his talons, as if to make certain the wall is solid and not a hologram. "Very well." states Lord Cyclonus to his troops. "Revenant, Dreadwind. Begin your attacks. Sunder, follow up on your thoughts." He turns then; facing Guiltor strangely without fear or without anger in his optics or his face. The lines of it are neutral, much as they often are and his optics show no sign of his inner thoughts. "If you profess to know all of the secrets that I supposedly hide, then you are well aware that I face my duty with nothing to keep secret. There is no action that I regret, I have no past to be afraid of. I am not a simple construction that was built with doubt and uncertanty, monster. I am a Unicron Born. I have my purpose and I serve that purpose happily. I do not regret, and I do not fear." Guiltor remarks to Dreadwind, "Oh, but I do, Dreadwind. I know of how a simple mistake can haunt one for a lifetime, never to be forgotten. You? You are the one who does not understand. All of your pain and angst is entirely self-inflicted, but you are far too deluded to see the truth for yourself." Guiltor's ominous gaze swivels towards Cyclonus. "Ah... yes... nothing to regret. No past. A thing built with a specific purpose. You are Unicron Born, you say. But can you truly call yourself a Decepticon? For I do not believe you are. No... you're... something else entirely." Hey, what do you know, that wall IS a hologram! And... Soundwave is somehow moving away from the Sweeps. Wouldn't he know they're there? Sunder's talons are moving along the wall, and suddenly he pushes his hand forward into--an open space! "As I thought! There's a passageway here, concealed by a holographic image!" Sunder calls out. He feels about more, to determine the size of the opening, and finds it is large enough to walk through. He then steps through the gap, disappearing behind the hologram. Now to find Soundwave... Dreadwind sighs heavily but attempts top carry out his orders anyway, "Well if that's what you want, but don't be surprised if he detonates and kills us all or worse infects us with whatever got Soundwave." Dreadwind raises his arm and points it at Guiltor, "You made one mistake and profess to know how things work? You are the deluded one, the one who cannot see the truth from the lies, the one who is a mere automaton racing towards its final demise. There are no mistakes there is only what the universe would have happen to increase the suffering of each and every creature. You will never truely see the terrible darkness that is life." With that Dreadwind falls silent and his wrist blaster punctuates for him. Revenant nods once to Sunder as the other Sweep disappears past the hologram, letting him take over the search for the Tapemaster. "Find him," he simply states quietly before he stalks a few steps around Guiltor, studying and analyzing as his laser rifle appears in one hand. Not many weak points with this construct, it seems, and Guiltor's words fall on offline audios. He has his orders from Cyclonus, and anything else is a distraction that is to be ignored unless it threatens his well-being. His optics narrow as he raises his rifle and fires a shot at Guiltor while making sure that neither of the other two Decepticons could get caught in the crossfire. You evade Revenant's Laser Rifle attack. Cyclonus is aware of Sunder's dissapearance, having figured that some form of deception was being used against the Decepticons in this particular case. "More of a Decepticon than many who fill our ranks, Guiltor. Come now, if you are as truly mystical as you would claim; find something that will delve beaneath my armor. Shock the ever-stotic Cyclonus. Make me weep as you have so many others. Surely, for one who is the 'Champion of Torment' such a thing is not impossible? Nay, it should even be probable." He is not attacking; meaning to keep Guiltor's attention on him and away from Sunder especially. As Sunder steps through the hologram-wall, he can see another section of wall down the "passageway," except this wall is moving AWAY from him. And Soundwave is beyond that moving wall! "I am fully aware of what I am, Dreadwind. I know what fate has in store for me. But I accept it without regrets." To Cyclonus: "Is that so, Cyclonus? Tell me, after Unicron was destroyed, why is it that, when Galvatron was believed lost, you organized a search party for him? Why bother?" Sunder cocks his head as he looks down the passageway. Yes, that wall is definitely *moving*. But is it real, or is it another hologram? He dashes towards it, claws outstretched. "Don't think you're getting away from me!" he hisses, his voice in a near-whisper. He's either going to tear through the wall with his talons, or grab whatever is hiding behind it. Guiltor is also struck by both attacks, but they don't seem to hurt him very much. He seems more intent on speaking to Cyclonus. Dreadwind is dismayed by his ability to strike his target, he even lokos at his wrist as if it is somehow betraying him, "I do not talk abouot regrets, i talk about the waste of time and energy you put into finishing your life, why the rush? Are you so afraid of life that you cannot even exist in it?" Dreadwind draws his melters and aims at the backs of Guiltor's knees, who knows maybe he can cripple him enough to be recaptured, of course Dreadwind knows that the action is doomed to failure. You evade Dreadwind's Twin Melters attack. Cyclonus quirks his attention at Guiltor once again. Slowly now, his lips curve ionto a slight smile. "What a poor, misguided creature you must be; Guiltor, that you do not understand the concept of loyalty. Is there no master to whom you pay allegiance? No cause that you support? No faction whos morals and beliefs hold dear? Nothing for you to champion, nothing for you to uphold? What a dreary existance you must have, monster. What a hopeless; empty cause with not a thing to stand for. I searched for Galvatron as any should do, for an esteemed leader and comrade. As any would for the rightful leader of their cause. You will have to try better than that." Revenant doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that his rifle-fire missed, if not just barely. Guiltor has been noted to be highly agile, or that he is not exactly the most battle-worthy of the Sweeps. He listens to the words being spoken without really hearing them, at least for the moment--they are just background noises, inconsequential to the true situation at hand. His optics glow a normal red for a second as his headcannon charges, then he fires a string of ballistic firepower at the construct, as if to punctuate Cyclonus' reply. Revenant strikes you with Headcannon Gatling for 6 points of damage. Sunder seems to be catching up to the wall, and then he runs right into... Galvatron!? What is he doing here? "Sunderrrr!" Galvatron sneers. "You... you call yourself a brother? TO ME!? INSOLENCE!!!" Galvatron stalks towards Sunder, his lip twitching. "I... have... no... FAMILY! Least of all a worthless bootlicker like YOU!!! BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT! NRAAAGHHH!" "There is nothing I fear," Guiltor replies evenly to Dreadwind. "I have a purpose. I have a plan. I will carry it out, no matter what." He leaps up over Dreadwind's melters, avoiding them, but Revenant's headblaster nails him in the back. However, despite melting away his armor Guiltor doesn't even react to the blow! "And you, Cyclonus. Ah, loyalty. You see, that is precisely what I am talking about. If a Decepticon leader falls, then the next most powerful and intelligent Decepticon takes his place. That was supposed to be you, Cyclonus. And yet you willingly ceded control back to a failed leader! How, precisely, is your behavior consistent with millions of years of Decepticon tradition? How can you truly boast of being something you have no similarities to? As for my loyalties, if you were wondering... others shall be loyal to me, my friend. I shall assume command of all Cybertron, and those who oppose me will suffer just as my victims have thus far." A white mist beings to collect at the bottom of the Dungeon's floor... what is its mysterious purpose?... Galvatron has arrived. Cyclonus has been quietly charging his pistol as he speaks and a soft beep indicates to him that the weapon has reached a state of maximum overcharge. He continues speaking though; going so far as to gesture with both of his hands. "I need not justify my actions to you. However, since you are a monster devoid of purpose I will endevour to explain. If he were dead, perhaps. Megatron fell to Prime many times, and was not deposed until his death." He seems to be making a point of keeping Guiltor focused on him while Sunder carries out a search. "But he was not, and as any loyal comrade would, he was found and returned. But I grow tire of our chatter, Guiltor. Are you intending to fight, or to simply bore me into a state of sullen relaxation?" Pistol aimed then, he squeezes off a shot towards Guiltor's face -- a much larger, more violent beam than before. Sunder's optics narrow and he gnashes his fangs in fury. "You, apparition! You dare imitate Lord Galvatron! You will suffer for this!" And with this, he warms up his headcannon, so that the passageway is bathed in a purple light moments before Sunder fires pointblank at the "Galvatron" apparition. Dreadwind might feel better that this time his attack goes astray as it should do but still that probably means that he'll now not miss for a vorn or two and he knows just how much it can annoy the enemy when you always strike true and they flail around helplessly. "Nothing to fear and yet you obey unquestioningly, so no will at all is your own, hardly someone that could rule anything, not that there's going to be anything much left at this r... Aww scrap, mist as if things weren't going bad enough already. This stuff is going to seep it's way into our systems and slowly start to erode us from within, the popping and failing of each and every circuit will be painfully obvious. Just give it up already, the sooner this ends the sooner we can rust in peace." Seeing as Guiltor just won't go down Dreadwind just swings a foot in his direction who knows maybe he'll kick somethuing vital, but most likely not. Dreadwind strikes you with Kick for 1 points of damage. Revenant huffs softly in very mild annoyance. He knows that his firepower isn't the strongest, but... by the Chaos Bringer, he does not like being ignored--even by something as odd as Guiltor, where being ignored may be a good thing. His talons glint coldly as he crouches as if to lash out at Guiltor in close-combat, but pauses as his optics pick up the apparent mist forming on the ground around them. "Cyclonus, sir," he rumbles warningly, his wings tensing as he activates his anti-gravs to hover above the forming white mist. He is starting to become faintly concerned that this is the beginnings of one of Guiltor's tricks, so he swipes at the construct to see if they can stop any tricks taking hold before it actually begins. You evade Revenant's Claw Swipe attack. "GRAAAAHHH!" Soundwave cries out as the headcannon blast tears through the Galvatron hologram. Uhoh. Soundwave's footsteps begin to run quickly away from Sunder... they appear to be moving towards the table Guiltor was confined upon? Then, suddenly, a huge wall appears out of thin air, blocking off the view of the table. Guiltor doesn't seem to budge as Dreadwind kicks him. In fact, his foot seems to go through him rather harmlessly! Is he insubstantial now? Or... "I do not expect one as deluded as you to understand, Dreadwind," Guiltor replies. "But even you will kneel before me before all is said and done." Guiltor's body moves rapidly as he twists out of the way of the claw swipe, and his face narrowly avoids the plasma blast. "So confident in yourself, Cyclonus. But you miss the point of what I'm telling you. When Megatron got in trouble, he was saved by sycophants who wanted more power for themselves. But you don't do that. You're "content" with what you have. But a true Decepticon always desires more!" Guiltor's image seems to slowly fade out somehow.... "You were not made as a Decepticon. No, you are merely a tool that serves a purpose. You have no will of your own. You're no better than a program on a computer!" Cyclonus once again does not hesitate as Guiltor begins to fade out. Switching his pistol to a low power mode he begins to fill the air with light shots -- simply attempting to connect with something solid. Even if it is Sunder, or Soundwave, only minor damage will be done but he can at least see where the energy comes to a halt. "Find him, Revenant, Sunder. Do whatever you need to do." A computer with no will of his own? Perhaps. That one sticks slightly. But he's too busy shooting to pay attention to it, for the moment. Dreadwind is surprised but not that his kick that apparantly connects seemingly doesn't, "Oh great, don't tell me we've all been sucked into Guiltor's mind and that we're now fighting the phantoms that he creates for us. This is as bad as that whole Alpha Q thing but at least that guy wasn't as annoyingly cheery as Guiltor is. One more thing, i never kneel before anyone, i just kind of slump to the floor and sit there, do you know how much damage extended kneeling can do to your joints?" This time Dreadwind doesn't bother to aim at anything as his arms droop by his sides he shoots the ground at his sides, hell you never know he might be right. "Another false wall, no doubt," Sunder snorts, and charges at it. But just to be on the safe side, he braces himself, in case he *does* run into something solid. He hears the footsteps and calls out. "Why are you running?" Revenant nods once and hovers in place, extending his senses outwards as he attempts to pinpoint where Guiltor has disappeared off to. He moves ever so slightly to the left or right to avoid Cyclonus' shots himself, not wishing to be accidentally damaged. With this amount of firepower flying everywhere, there's no need to add to it. "Where are you?" He growls softly under his breath in mild annoyance, fed up with this apparent 'game'. Of course, that could mean Sunder, Soundwave, or Guiltor--if not all three. As Revenant focuses his senses on where Guiltor currently is he discovers... that it's the same spot that Soundwave is running to! "Well, it was an interesting discussion," Guiltor says as his form fades out. "We'll have to continue it again some time, if we can." The some really odd things happen. Guiltor reappears on the table, clamped down tight, his chest surgically opened, revealing his lasercore. Several stray shots from Cyclonus's pistol have pitted his armor. Soundwave suddenly appears, standing over Guiltor, scalpel raised up in his hand, before he plunges it down into Guiltor's laser core. "What?" Soundwave suddenly emits after he completes this act. Then Sunder slams into him from behind, and Soundwave collapses on top of Guiltor's now greying body. Yes, the evil amalgam was there on the table the whole time! Cyclonus lowers the pistol; steaming with the waste heat of it's energy bursts as he takes stock of the situation. "......." Yes, this is what he says. Not 'dot dot dot' but a stretch of silence. He then murmurs into the radio. Dreadwind looks around trying to assess the situation as the world fades out to reappear slightly differently, he slumps to the ground dejectedly, "So i was right, at least partially, not enough to stop his escape, he'll be back to ignore me again i just know it."